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Simply Dead
Simply Dead
Simply Dead
Ebook322 pages4 hours

Simply Dead

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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A midwife disappears after attending the birth of a child in another community, leading to an investigation that uncovers innumerable lies and secrets.

1790s, Maine. In the depths of winter Hortense, a midwife, disappears after attending a birth in the woodlands. During the search Will Rees finds her struggling through the snow and woods without shoes or a coat.

After two young men begin stalking the community in search of her – including targeting Rees’s own family – she is questioned further and claims she was kidnapped . . . but Rees and his wife Lydia are suspicious. It is agreed Hortense’s presence is endangering everyone’s safety and she needs to leave. As the arrangements are made she is hidden in Zion, the local Shaker community, only while there a Shaker Sister is murdered. Witnesses describe a man fitting Josiah Wooten’s description, a ferocious man living in the woods with two young sons.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherSevern House
Release dateJun 1, 2019
ISBN9781448302215
Author

Eleanor Kuhns

Eleanor Kuhns is the 2011 winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition for A Simple Murder. The author of seven previous Will Rees mysteries, she is now a full-time writer after a successful career as the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York. www.eleanor-kuhns.com

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Rating: 4.333333416666666 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Will Rees, his wife, and family live in the house that his wife inherited and that the Shaker community covets. He married into the Shaker community, even though the Shakers don't seem to accept him that much. He had previously investigated a murder in the community and it seems that he will be doing it again as the daughter, Hortense, of a midwife, goes missing. There are two men who are looking for her. Will finds her in the snow without shoes or a coat. He and his wife Lydia are suspicious of the circumstances. They hide her away in Zion, the local Shaker community. There is an eye witness and it appears that the description of the witnesses matches that of Josiah Wooten, a nasty man who lives with his wife and two sons. Will investigates the family and is surprised by what he finds. He has gone to the Wooten home in a blizzard, puts his life at risk yet again. He is determined to not only find out why Hortense went missing but also investigate the murder of the Shaker sister and what the correlation is between the two incidences. He is concerned about the welfare of his family and that they could be in danger.The author writes in such a way that you can almost feel like you are in the snowy woods of 1790's Maine. A community that is set far apart from the rest of the country. There is a cast of characters that are believable. The story is suspenseful and you also get a feel for what it is like to live in a Shaker community. There are also some twists to the story that was not expected. I love a story that does that, I don't want to figure out who did what in a mystery, I like being surprised.This is only the second Shaker Murders book that I have read but I found that I really did not miss not having read the previous ones in the series. I want to start the series from the beginning! I enjoyed the book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Its the 1790s, in Maine and winter has arrived. Several weeks earlier Hortense a young midwife had gone to help with the birthing of the latest Bennett member. But it is only now that it is noticed that she had left the Bennetts but not arrived home. As a search party is organised to find her Will Rees discovers her in a bad way. But why was she kidnapped. Feeling that she is still in danger she is secreted away in Zion, the local Shaker community. But then a Sister is killed. What was the motive and will this be the end of the killings
    An enjoyable, well-plotted and well-written story. With certainly some likeable characters.
    Although there is mention of past events in the lives of the Rees family the book can easily be read as a standalone story.
    A NetGalley Book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.Hortense a young midwife fails to return home after delivering a baby. Her mother and uncle seek out help from Will Rees. Will finds Hortense with no shoes and no cloak. As the snow comes down heavier it is decided to leave the unconscious Hortense overnight at Will and Lydia’s house. Will and his family attend to chores around the farm. Will hears his daughter Jerusha yelling for him. She has been frightened but he doesn’t know what scared her. The next morning Jerusha is attacked by two young boys. Will is sure Hortense knows something she isn’t telling them. When a Shaker woman is killed Will is determined to do everything he can to find the person responsible for the attacks on women in the area.Once again this book was so well written I didn’t expect the killer to be who it was. I have only read one other book in this series. I have definitely got to catch up on them. This author brings you in to the time period and into the setting. The characters are well crafted. Will Rees has become one of my favorite characters. He is a weaver by trade and yet he has become a wonderful detective. This is a book I would read more than once.

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Simply Dead - Eleanor Kuhns

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